Bring Me To Life
by Spock-Aid
Summary: A girl hears voices, Dracula is resurected, and of course Van Helsing and him go at it again. I suck at summaries, so whatever.
1. Chapter 1

**A Note: Something I came up with on the spur of the moment while listening to Evanescence's Bring Me To Life. If there's something wrong with it tell me.**

Ashling was in her room when she first heard it. A fleeting whisper as if it was floating on the wind, it said: _"Come to me." _

It began to talk to her over and over again. Sometimes it told her the thoughts of her peers, their actions, but other times it insisted she come to it. At school it made her head itch and kept her from getting any work done. At home she simply stopped hearing what her mother and father said most times. After a stern teacher had thought she was lying to her the principal had talked to her parents.

"Something has to be done." She had said. "If your daughter doesn't start paying attention in school her grades will drop." Ashling had been sat outside the office, but they hadn't closed the door.

"_They are insulting you." _The voice said. _"They don't think you'll understand."_

"Shut up!" The first time she had spoken to it, it laughed at her. It-He kept laughing as people began to stare at her oddly in the hall.

After the teachers had spoken to her parents they argued. At first it was about her; whether she should go to a psychiatrist, or just be left alone. The voice became more and more urgent, at times yelling at her, to where she would develop a migraine. Steadily her parents troubles escalated where they would yell at each other over the stupidest things. During the fights he would talk to her almost soothingly.

"_You can get away from all this," _He said. _"All you have to do is ask."_

As both her parents shouted at each other from across the dinner table she put her head in her hands.

"What do you want from me?" She whispered.

"_I am so glad you asked." _It said. _"Come to me."_

"Where?" The shouting grew louder even though her parents had moved into the other room.

"_Here, in your head." _He laughed at her evilly.

She slammed her fists on the table and ran to her room. She threw things into a duffel bag as she spoke to him. "Where, where should I go?"

"_To Transylvania my dear. To my castle."_

"Why?"

"_You shall see when you get there." _She grit her teeth and stormed out of the house, swiping her mom's credit card without even thinking. From outside she could hear them yelling. What were they even fighting about in the first place? She didn't know.

She took a bus, to her told destination. At the airport he talked and pointed out things to her as if he was using her eyes. She found out she was going to a remote village in the Carpathian mountains, but more he would not say, only that she should not let the locals there see her.

On the plane he exclaimed what a joy it was to be flying again. She itched to ask him if he had been on a plane before but didn't want to upset the lady next to her. The fasten seat belt sign went off and the lady got up. She whispered her question to herself and at first got no answer.

"_No my dear I have never been on a plane."_

"Then why did you-" A stewardess looked at her. Ashling smiled pleasantly and she went on down the aisle. "Why did you say you had flown before?" She barely heard her own voice she was so quiet.

"_That is one of those things you shall find out later." _Ashling could ask no more questions when the old lady sat back down and returned to her book.

Hours later Ashling landed and found out the voice had led her to Romania. "Why can't we just take a bus there?" She murmured to herself. Now she ignored the looks she got from people. She would never see them again she reasoned so what if they thought she was loony. She must have looked strange in her light jacket in a place where the people wore coats this time of year. She didn't care; she felt like she was standing next to a stove.

"_Because you must enter on foot from here." _He practically yelled at her and she covered her ears at the pressure. A mother rushed her child away from her. Her eyes were pulled to the sight of mother and child. _"A sweet sight,"_ He said. He was silent for a moment, during which Ashling felt suddenly naked and exposed. _"You will give me children." _The voice was soft and alluring.

"What!" She said it louder than she had expected. She walked away from the looks and out into the cold night. She walked and walked compelled by some inner urge that she should not stop and should not talk to anyone. The city lights were twinkles behind her before he spoke again.

"_My wives could not bear children, ones that would live." _The voice was solemn. _"But there is a strangeness about you. You are almost like me."_

Ashling still walked she walked for miles and never stopped. Her vision and her memory became blurry because the next thing she knew the voice was yelling at her. She stopped suddenly and fell dead over in the grass.

When she came to it was dark. "How long did I sleep?"

"_That does not matter. Now hurry you must make it to the castle before sun rise." _She ran down into the village. In the empty square she did a double-take.

"This place is like the 1800s!"

"_Yes this place is time locked. The people here change and they may even enter or leave but the place never changes. It is a portal to the another world, my world." _

"A time lock; somehow I don't find that hard to believe."

"_You shouldn't."_

By this time she had reached a house. The mansion was huge and looked like it hadn't been touched in years. She entered without even thinking and walked through the place until she reached a huge mirror. She stared at herself. Her straight brown hair was matted and had leaves wreathed in it. Her jeans and jacket were grass-stained and torn in places.

Another person stood beside her. A man dressed in a black cloak with long black hair held back with a golden clip was reflected standing close beside her.

She gasped and whirled around. It was empty. Looking back at the mirror the man was smiling at her laughingly showing pointed canines.

"_Go."_

Ashling walked toward the mirror and went right through it! On the other side a black fortress loomed in front of her; she had never seen a structure so big. Snow blanketed the ground and the dead trees. The trees she failed to notice held skeletons pierced by the branches, frozen in their death pose.

"_Walk girl. I'm becoming impatient."_

She did. Through the door, weaving through passages until she reached a lab. Equipment stood all over the place. Patches of the floor had soot on them from long put out fires. In one place a stain marked the floor. She went towards it and went down on one knee to look closer. It was like ash, but reddish in places.

Ashling didn't notice what she was doing until the skull was in her hands. It was huge and its teeth threatened to pierce her skin as she stared into its eye sockets.

She gasped. Her wrist was bleeding a drop of blood fell from one of the fangs. She swore she heard laughter, not just in her head but from her ears. The ash flew up as if blasted from above. It nearly scattered before it collected into itself and compressed. Ashling felt the strength draining from her as the skull whipped out of her hands. In a blink the dust was gone and so was the presence from her mind. In front of her stood the very same man she had seen in the mirror.

He smiled at her and when he spoke he was the mimic of the thing in her head.

"Hello Ashling." His eyes were a piercing blue, and they stared at her seemingly into her soul. "I am Count Vladislaus Dracula." He bowed to her.

He watched as her eyes rolled back in her head and she fell over backwards, not able to take staying awake any longer.


	2. Chapter 2

**A Note: Thank you to my reviewer aleera13 and LadyWednesday**

Dracula smiled again as he looked around. "Good to be back even if it is to here." He looked around distastefully and glanced back down at Ashling. The poor girl was worn out. He picked her up gently, holding her in his arms like a child.

He walked almost painfully slowly, all the while his muscles ached and his joints creaked. Being dead a long time will do that to someone even if he is a vampire. The girl was light, sickeningly so, and her bones jut through her skin dangerously.

Perhaps his influence had wore on her more than he had thought. The result of putting two consciousnesses in a body was like putting two mice in a small jar; they must compete to survive. Her body had fought the extra inside her head, but was forced to give up the energy for it.

He went towards a couch on the far side of the room and lay her down on the red velvet.. From the window he could see the mountains and the soon to be full moon. A wolf howled or it could have very well been a werewolf. Dracula thought of his past servants and of the one who had killed him.

"Tomorrow I shall have new servants." He said to himself. At the full moon tomorrow he would venture into the woods and rally some werewolves, and other night children, to himself.

The sun was rising, no more than a golden glow still below the horizon, but he knew he should retreat. He turned his back. He was sure that Ashling would sleep until nightfall; to resurrect him with her blood had drained her strength and given it to him. He wouldn't be surprised if she slept through the next night either.

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As Dracula rose from his icy coffin, his ears were alerted to a call.

"Now that is a werewolf's howl." The call reverberated in his ears; it was a call of blood lust, that which animal wolves did not care for. His eyes locked on the window above him, viewed the full moon, as he shifted into his feral form. The glass had been previously shattered allowing him to pass unobstructed.

This path above the forest he had flown many times, searching out victims whether human or animal he didn't care. Although tonight was about rallying forces Dracula would be forced to feed sometime before dawn. Snow was on the ground, and while he saw this he thought offhandedly that Ashling had, had to walk through it. He flew on, ever watchful for a sign of blood or tracks something that would give the werewolf away.

The thing howled again, and another joined it. Dracula followed the sound to his left and saw at least three, if more were not hiding in the shadows, in a clearing looking over a body.

Changing in mid-air, he landed on his feet, bending his knees to absorb the impact. He was out of the wolves' line of sight, in the trees. _"This should be no problem," _he thought. The wolves were growling at each other and lunging over the corpse at each other.

"_No time for introductions." _Dracula stepped out of the trees. The wolves barely had time to see him before they were under his thrall.

They blinked dumbly, then ruffed softly to each other. Dracula's grin showed his fangs to which the werewolves took notice. One tried to growl, but was reprimanded with a ringing in his ears as Dracula's hand went up.

"You are all my servants now." he told them as he walked forward. He took not the slightest notice of them, as if daring them to attack. "My whim is yours." He continued. One of the smaller werewolves was the first to begin giving in. It hunkered down and laid its ears against its head. The other two, probably knowing their friend was smarter than they were soon followed suit.

Dracula had reached the edge of the clearing, able to reach out and touch the trees in front of him, he spun to face them. In the same view he took in the three werewolves and a form up in the lower branches of one of the trees behind them.

A bogey it was and quite old looking for it. Bogey's being the monsters who haunt children at night, it was strange to see one in the forest so far away from the town. He seemed but eleven or twelve, dressed all in black clothes far too big for his skinny body. His hair was black the same color as his white less eyes, framed by a round face. He saw Dracula look at him and he smiled showing needle-point teeth, and turning his head sideways.

The vampire raised his hand in an embellished gesture to shake. The bogey was down in an instant, flipping himself off the branch and running to him weaving through the werewolves. It was not every day that a powerful creature offered service to an odd one such as himself.

The bogey took Dracula's gloved hand and kissed it as he marveled at his display with the werewolves.

"Oh, my, sir as scared as I am of the things I'm sayin' you must be very brave to trifle with those beasties." Dracula pulled his hand back not wanting to lose a finger to the bogey's hungry teeth.

"It is easy," He looked down at the boy condescendingly. "They are very stupid things." Dracula spun on his heel waving his hand at his new lackeys.

"Might I ask Count how it is you have returned to power?" The boy trotted just to stay at Dracula's heels.

"What is your name bogey?" Dracula ignored his question and walked.

"Uh, Vay, Sir." He stuttered trying to keep his voice strong to impress his new master.

"Vay? You will see when we get back." Dracula returned to the previous question.

"What?" Vay stopped dead but nearly ran into the count when a werewolf growled at his back.

Onward they walked and for once Dracula did not have to put the werewolves back in line in all the time he had done something like this. _The villagers seemed to have run them farther away than they ever had been and they are weak. The Count's thoughts bordered on the wolves meekness as he led them back._ _How long had I been dead? _He wondered just before they hit the only bump in their trip.

Something or someone yelped off in the forest to their right. The werewolves ears perked up, and Vay at his side looked around his teeth bared. Dracula smirked. He would know that voice if it was dieing.

A young man burst out of the trees at a dead run. Just as he was about to run out of sight he fell scrambling for a footing and stumbled toward them. He rushed out, "Help me!" Before hiding at Dracula's back.

Dracula looked on calmly as a small black horse trotted onto the path. It was barely out of its childhood, it had not even grown fully into its mane yet.

"A night mare." The bogey took a step toward its kin. The mare had stopped, huffing in the center of the path. It's eyes were dull gray, proving it blind. "It has no rider," the bogey stepped up to the creature, looking quandaringly at its back. "It has guided itself by smell and hearing alone." Vay touched it but got no adverse affect.

All three of the werewolves lay down a ways beside Dracula as he talked to the man.

"Always in some sort of trouble aren't you Jaret?" Dracula scolded mockingly.

"This one wasn't my fault. I swear." He held up his hands to protest his innocence. Jaret seemed to be about twenty although he was as old as the count. His blond hair fell past his shoulders, and his blue eyes spoke of adventures. Jaret was goblin gifted, it showing as him always getting in tight spots and claws on his fingernails. His immortality was given to him by a sprites blood.

Dracula snapped his fingers at the werewolves and they pushed themselves up. The bogey had successfully pulled himself onto the mare's back and turned her around down the path. Fatigue, as he would soon find out, was the only thing allowing him to do so.

With two more added to the company they all fled before the sunrise

**Another Note: Was it good? Bad? Tell me! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Sorry about the long wait, I've been grounded. **

Dracula stared down at Ashling's serene face. The bogey rustled in the rafters above him, making to scare some of the dozing bats in the dawn. The Count looked up into the dawn, mere pinpricks of light peering over the horizon stabbing his eyes. He closed his eyes and looked away, momentarily regretting his life as a night creature. This passed when he saw the girl again and thought of what he could give her, what he could take away.

Smiling lightly he retired to his coffin, leaving the bogey to watch over Ashling.

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Dust fluttered in Ashling's eyes as she awoke. She had slept a dreamless sleep, she discovered as she lay there staring up at the high ceiling, a quandary hovering in her mind: Why was she here? The light shining in her eyes from the window slowly disappeared and had gone completely before she found the will to sit up. The window at her back, Ashling stared out at the room; it was exactly as it was before with the addition of two new things.

She gasped her eyes growing wide. "Werewolves, werewolves," Whispered in fear to herself and in her blind haste to get away she fell backwards off the couch with a small yelp. When she had settled from her fall her feet still above her on the couch, she listened for any hint of movement.

Her head felt strangely empty, the voice she had contended with so long now gone.

A yawn, like a dog's but much louder, filled the room. Ashling bit her lip so hard she bled. The thing gruffed, then a clicking of its claws reverberated towards her as it moved. Ashling squeezed her eyes shut; it was getting closer.

Just as she felt its moist breath on her ankles an inhuman yell sounded from her left. Ashling covered her head, expecting a second creature to come rushing toward her. She missed the sight of Dracula's feral form sweeping the werewolf into the back wall. The wolf lay there whimpering in subordination.

Ashling felt herself being pulled roughly to her feet and so kept her eyes pinched shut. Hands roved over her as if checking for injuries. They ran through her hair coming to rest on the side of her face.

"Look at me!" He demanded. The voice jolted her eyes open like it had so many other nights; but this time someone was there. Dracula's pale eyes bored into her in concern. Relief washed over his face and then broke into a smile. Ashling looked at him in horror; his fangs had caught her eye and held them. He saw her look and smiled appraisingly at her before whipping his face out of her view.

He strode down the steps to the floor as if attending a ball. Ashling stood dumb struck at the top of the small flight of stairs, her hair tousled by her sleep and her mouth hanging open. Dracula held out a hand to her and his will pulled her toward him. Despite how frightened she was of all this she took a step, unable to take her eyes from Dracula's face.

She went down into his arms; they stood as if to dance. Dracula still smiled at her in a giddy way.

Ashling gulped and said: "What are you going to do to me?" Dracula dipped her then, so fast her head spun when he forced her back up. His feet had been planted the whole time, but now she felt dizzy as though they had been spinning on a dance floor.

"You'll see," He said with a carnivorous smile. He forced her away from him causing her to spin around. He unnerved her but she was frozen in her fear. "I've devised a test for my new pets." He said leisurely. Ashling's eyes grew wide as she remembered the werewolf she had almost took to dinner. Dracula turned calmly away, ready to leave her alone with his monsters. One of the wolves snarled and shook itself, ready for the hunt.

Dracula looked at her over his shoulder, a mock surprise on his face. "Run little dream; you'll need the head start."

The other werewolf growled low in his throat, and shook itself, getting up to a crouching position. Ashling took off, at first running blindly through the wide corridors of the castle. As she ran she became more and more panicked, although she couldn't see or hear anything behind her. That fact somehow made it worse, the thought that they could jump out in front of her.

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Before, as Ashling ran away from them, the larger of Dracula's new servants, had tried to leap up after her.

"NO!" Dracula had hissed at him, his eyes glowing in fury. Whimpering, the wolf sat down his ears layed back. "We wouldn't want her to die straight off would we?" Dracula starred at the path Ashling had taken and hoped she was strong enough to survive, to pass his test.

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Ashling burst out of an arch onto a stone bridge suspended above the cavernous valley. She slowed momentarily looking ahead of her. There was a huge gap in the walkway in the center, quite a few yards in front of her. Even as she came on this impassable obstacle a buzzing calm overtook her.

Her vision blurred, and her knees weakened as something cracked in front of her. She was now kneeling staring forward out at a very different night sky.

Screeches emanated from the tower window across from her, and a small man stood on the opposite side of the gap. It was raining, but it was as though she were shielded from it, as dry as she was. It was like she were in a dream or watching a movie as no one noticed her and nothing seemed to touch her, not even the ground.

A black haired woman in dark clothing swung on a wire beside the pathway.

"Throw it to me Carl." Her yell was barely heard over the thunder in the distance and the wind whipping in Ashling's ears. The man threw it to her, she caught it and clutched it to her chest, swinging away.

A huge gray bat flew behind her; the source of the horrid screech. It flew, almost gracefully, behind the swinging figure, before it rammed into her back sending her crashing into the columns of the other tower.

Even as she heard this Ashling heard another sound; the sound of claws clacking slowly on the stones behind her.

**Author's Note: I hope this is a very successful cliff-hanger. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: Sorry about the long wait I've been busy with school and other things. At least this chapter is fairly long.**

Dracula stood behind Ashling, watching her in her trance. He blended into the darkness in his black cape and hair, his bright eyes shining out of his white face like stars. Ashling's head moved to her left, obviously watching something in her vision. Her brown hair was somehow tucked neatly behind her ear, allowingher eye was fogged over as if it was glass; the green shining as bright as an emerald.

Dracula was entranced with her. A clack sounded behind him: a werewolf had caught up with them. He grinned cruelly. He would let the werewolf get close and see how she reacted.

Ashling 'woke up'. The rain faded away around her, the sky returned to pitch black, and silence muffled around her ears, when something snorted.

She turned her head, still kneeling on the stone walkway. A big hairy thing, stood behind her. It looked mostly human, but for it's head and all its fur, it was like a wolf.

"Werewolf." she suddenly realized, finally waking completely from her waking dream. The werewolf leaped for her, and at the exact moment to save her she ducked forward and heard the beast's howl as it tumbled into the gap. With morbid curiosity she leaned forward and watched as it disappeared into the fog and its death.

Dracula stood behind her, smiling without showing his teeth, his eyes shining in a dangerous way. "Wonderful, my dear."

Ashling spun around, gritting her teeth to keep calm.

"You _are _what I thought you were." He swooped down and, holding her shoulders, picked her up and marched her off. "Come," he told her. "We have much to attend to."

They ended up back where she had woken, the broken laboratory. Here Dracula let loose of her. She scurried off like a mouse from a cat who had almost made it lunch. Dracula turned slowly and laughed, in his deep voice, as his mouse tripped on a step. The girl sprawled on her back over the steps to the oddly placed red couch, she didn't understand, and her eyes were wide on account of it. Yet in all her confusion her hair stayed out of her face, allowing Dracula to stare into her eyes.

"Poor Ashling," he told her, "So confused." he smirked, and his face was inches away from hers, having moved at lightning speed. She shrieked, but didn't move. Ashling knew he would only follow her using the same trick he just had to catch up with her.

She blinked and he was gone.

"I will explain," his voice came from the ceiling, and her mouth fell open when she saw him standing upside down directly above her. "If you wish."

Her breath shuddered as she took one to speak. "Yes. Please." she stammered out finally.

There was a slam across the room. She looked, fearing the other werewolves she knew lurked around here, wherever here was.

She stood up on the bottom step, ready to run if need be.

"There is no need for that dear Ashling." Dracula was behind her now. The moon rose behind him, it seemed so much larger here. Ashling's mind was, for a moment, pulled in by this picturesque sight, until he spoke again.

"I know, so different from your world." Dracula's deep voice sounded in her ears as he looked back at it. He let himself be behind her, and as he spoke, he ran his fingers through her dark hair. "In this world all those things you've read about, are real." Something clicked in her head and she jerked physically. "Witches, hunters, vampires, the werewolves you are so afraid of," he walked around her, staring into her eyes. Ashling looked back, not being drawn into his trance as others would by his bright blue eyes.

"Yes," Dracula said, almost to himself. "There is something different about you, Ashling."

"What?" her voice was demanding, she was sick of being in the dark and having to run in it. "What's so special about me?"

"Oh, Ashling, you really don't know?" he grinned secretively at her. Dracula turned his back to her to stare out at the moon again. "As a small child you have been blessed, baptized, you have relatives who are Jewish and some who practice Islam, and Buddhism. Yet after all this you remain unattached to any religion." he turned to look at her, a strange glee dancing in his eyes. "Doesn't that seem strange to you?"

"Not really. My parents don't do anything."

He smiled at her ignorance. "Oh, but they did. As children they had a set religion, but they seemed to have lost it along the way." He turned back to the moon.

Before he could continue, Ashling cut in, "But what does that have to do with anything?"

"You will see." his voice was grave. "Your body is also strange. It is not built like a mortal's, it is stronger. You fell from a tree as a child and relatives swear they saw your leg bend oddly, but it didn't break. In fact you've never suffered a broken bone or sprain in your life despite all the sports you have played."

Ashling thought about it and found he was right.

"You are supernatural in your reflexes, your speed." he turned around on his heel and let his eyes rove over her body.

A thought entered Ashling's mind then. How her mother had, had to give her the sex talk early, in third grade. _What!?_, formed in her mind but she did not speak.

Dracula strode toward her, she saw him, but he was too fast to dodge.

His hand gripped her neck under her chin, his thumb on on side his fingers on the other.

Ashling didn't move, she could feel his nails, as long as talons, dig into her skin.

"Your most valuable asset," Dracula ducked his face next to her neck and breathed deep the smell of her. "Your blood."

Ashling whimpered, as he let out a sound close to a growl and his lips pressed to her skin. He jolted and hesitated then shoved her away. She stumbled and fell and hit her head on a metal bar.

Dracula pressed his hand to his face, trying to get a grip on his vamipiric urges. He had almost bitten her. He did not want to kill her or turn her just yet, it would ruin his chances of getting a child from her.

"Smooth, master, sir." the Bogey squatted beside the unconscious girl, his frock coat trailing the ground. Slowly Dracula took his hand from his eyes.

"Shut up, Vay." he gasped for breath trying to steady himself. "If I brought a child here you could not hold yourself back."

The Bogey laid his head on one shoulder then the other, almost agreeing with his master. Most night creatures have a hard time controlling themselves when it comes to their object.

He took a step toward Vay. He jumped up and skittered away, afraid he would be hit for his insolence.

Dracula paid him no mind as he bent down and gathered Ashling in his arms. When he stood her head lolled against his chest and her legs hung over his arm.

"Is she the reason?" Dracula's back was to Vay and he didn't see the puzzled look on his servant's face.

"Yes." he answered. "She is the reason I am alive."

The puzzle of why the Bogey was so far from the town ate at Dracula's mind as he laid Ashling in a bed.

Vay had run off after getting an answer to his question, and his footsteps had sounded like any other child's. Dracula's weakness was children and this had provoked his thoughts.

A prickle at the back of his head told him the sun was rising. There was no window in this room, so he couldn't tell if he could go out without being scorched.

Taking on more look at Ashling, he walked out into the hall. A storm gathered outside, it was plenty dark, as if the sun had never risen. He transformed, unfolded his wings and leaped out of the window.

The moment Dracula was out of sight, Vay crept into the room he had exited. He slunk up to the bed. The first thing he saw were Ashling's pair of black converses. A gray bat was embossed on the outside, red strings were laced through the top. But it wasn't just the colors that caught his eye, the smell of the rubber soles amazed him. Proving how strange and curious Bogey's are.

He took them and did whatever it is Bogey's do with their trinkets.

Dracula peered around the edge of a building into the midmorning market. The people bustled around just as they had when he was truly alive. Winter's chill could not touch him through his cloak, though would he have felt it anyway?

The same could not be said for the fierce looking dog that lingered beside him.

The thing must have been a cross between a wolf and one of the short-haired village mongrels. Its hair was dark gray studded with white and bristly, its eyes were a dark brown, its ears were long and pointed.

Now his ears were nearly horizontal to his head as he crouched by Dracula's side.

Dracula could sense something about it, the aroma of the night in his coat. He glanced down at it, _Why is this one so close to the village if all the others have fled? _he asked himself. He forced it out of his thoughts and returned to scanning the village.

The lights were on in Valerios manor, and even as he stared trying to catch a whiff of Anna, a man came out.

He was small, with small cropped blonde hair and a catholic monk's robe. He looked around nervously, clutching the crucifix around his neck.

The dog at Dracula's side began to whimper and slink backward into the street. As he got farther it boosted his courage and he began to bark and growl at him.

"What is wrong with you, you mangy-"

An icy pain went through his back and out his chest. He gasped and looked down at a silver point jutting from the center of his chest.

_I'm out of practice, _he thought.

The man behind him forced him forward and dumped him face first into the dirt just in front of the village's well.

The stake was pulled from his back as he heard: "You see! He is still alive! That is why we must take the offensive!"

Men tentatively walked out of the crowd gathered around the edges of houses, toward Dracula and-

"Van Helsing." Dracula scorned as he lay sprawled on the ground, pinned by a boot.

"But you have just left him alive." someone in the crowd yelled and shouts of agreement followed.

The pressure was taken off his back and he took the chance to leap up into his bat form. Van Helsing swiped at the space where he had been with the stake.

Dracula landed on the far edge of the well. His cloak was now absent and a smirk of triumph was smeared across his face.

The wolf dog yelped and ran toward him. He stood behind him on the steps and growled at the people like a faithful watch dog.

"I see you have not improved in my absence Van Helsing."

"Your absence? You should be dead!" a growl covered Van Helsing's expression.

"Ah, yes, but my soul lingered on and I took a vassal to serve my purpose." he meant Ashling, the one his soul had fled to when his body had ceased to be.

A little girl of perhaps six took a step away from her ma. She recognized the dog; she had fed it for the past year scraps from her own plate. He had been thankful and had been the girl's playmate. No other child would be around her because of her icy blue eyes.

Dracula saw her movement out of the corner of his eye and he turned his head to look. Her mother collected her in her arms. Dracula caught her ice eyes with his. They looked much the same, and some who had seen him had accused her mother of being his whore. The girl continued to stare, as his eyes began to glow inhumanly.

"Children." he said simply. When he looked back at Van Helsing a dark haired boy stood by his side, holding a crossbow. Dracula sneered thinking this boy was his enemy's son.

"And where is dear Anna, Van Helsing?"

He gulped at her name. "She's dead." his voice remained calm, but he had stopped loading the bow in his distress.

"No doubt birthing one of your prodigy." Dracula seemed unmoved by this news in his biting tone, but his head spun.

"No, she died, three years ago, just after I killed you." the stony look returned to Van Helsing's face.

_Three years, _Dracula repeated to himself, _I have been truly dead._

"Such a loss. She would have made a fine bride."

Van Helsing took a step and the boy put a hand on his arm. The boy had good sense, he saw that Van Helsing's rage would have been his undoing.

"Don't you have enough brides?" his teeth were grit as he spoke, not looking at Dracula.

"Oh, but think, Van Helsing, you've killed them all. I will have to find more." he smirked. "I already have a young girl in mind."

Van Helsing took no time for words, he hefted the bow and shot.

At the same moment, the sun moved out from behind the clouds.

Dracula hissed and with his inhuman speed dived into the well. Van Helsing's shot whizzed through the space beside the dog's ear. Knowing he would never make it out of the well, the dog shot off, never the more noticed by the townsfolk than he ever was.

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Van Helsing ran up the steps and looked over into the dark chasm much as he had done with Anna years ago. The dark haired boy, Ahlf, stood across from him. Carl yelled to them from the steps of the church, but Van Helsing could not make out his words. The boy answered for him and he was so keen on making out a shape from the darkness he did not hear the response.

The clouds covered the sun once more. "Uh-oh."

A huge man-like bat burst out of the opening, knocking Van Helsing and his boy to the ground with the gusts from its wings. Van Helsing began to shoot at it, running around to re-coop with his young apprentice.

"Here's a lesson for you boy," Van Helsing said as he paused in his shooting. "Night creatures are always unpredictable." he shot again as Dracula swooped and grabbed the little ice eyed girl about the waist.

Fleeing Van Helsing's shots he took off with her. Van Helsing gasped, "Didn't see that one coming."

The girl's mother ran up behind him, she was crying hysterically, scratching at her face, and throwing blame around.

"Calm down, Miss." Van Helsing tried. "There are only two places he could have taken her-" he gave up. Peony, the cleaning lady Carl had hired when they had taken over the manor, came up and began to soothe the woman.

"Thanks." he nodded to her and she nodded back.

Van Helsing knew he had to start searching for the girl right away. And if he didn't find her in time, well. . .

He sighed, as he looked off in the direction Dracula had gone.

In the distance a wolf howled.

The girl did nothing as she was carried in the monster's arms. She didn't know what to think. She had endured the teases of her peers and the lectures of the priests and wasn't sure if this was what was meant to happen to her.

People accused her mother of adultery, and with _Dracula _no less. But why would she be punished for what her mother had done? Though she didn't believe her mother would do such a thing, she was a devoted wife and did everything her husband asked of her. She took good care of her children, kept a clean house, and cooked very well.

One of the women who taunted her mother openly, was a whore by night and acted like a saint during the day, an owl had told her that.

Dracula was as careful as he could be with the girl. He held her tight and was distinctly aware of where his claws were.

As he flew the girl sat silent looking down, as he was, at the forest below. Between the trees Dracula saw the wolf dog. The dog ran faster than a horse and jumped like a gazelle; he was a creature of the night.

He screeched to it, and the girl looked at him. He gave her a grin with his huge teeth. She looked away quickly, and down as the wolf dog howled back to him. It sounded more like the screech of a bat than a wolf's howl.

The dog fell out of their sight as they flew over the mountains. It would take the dog much longer to reach the castle.

The girl saw the huge palace, and marveled. It was so tall its spires were lost in the clouds.

The huge bat flew through a window he had busted long ago.

He changed to his human form still holding the girl in his arms. He set her down on her feet just as the sun touched his heels. He screeched and skirted away from it toward his coffin frozen in the middle of the room.

When he looked back the girl still stood in the full sunlight, looking at him strangely. She was too young to know what he was, and what it meant, all she knew is that everyone spit when they said his name.

"I don't understand." she said in her sweet voice.

Dracula's tone was harsh as a sudden rage gripped him. "Come out of the sun and I will explain it to you." he found himself regretting that he could not stand in the heat of the sun as this little girl could.

She shook her head tossing her short black hair around her face.

He screeched again in his anger. The girl jumped further backward, putting herself in brighter light.

Dracula took a breath, calming himself.

"What is your name, girl?" he asked, a little more gently.

"S-Sophie." she said quickly and quietly.

"Sophie," Dracula sighed. Flying had made him tired, his fatigue and lack of blood had caught up with him. He managed a warm smile for her. "Would you like to meet your new mother?"

Ashling awoke in a dark room, her dreams immediately dissipating as wakefulness overtook her.

Opening her eyes was little different than having them closed, her ears were equally unresponsive. She could feel beneath her a smooth silk, and around her the frigid still cold. She looked around her eyes questing for anything.

A candle burned in the far corner of the room, sending a glare off a doorknob beside it. She swung her feet off and touched the cold marble floor. Her shoes had been taken off.

_Not good for my running. _She decided.

Ashling wrapped her jacket tighter around herself and shoved her hands into her pockets, subsequently finding a hole in the cloth. She sighed, but continued on out the door.

Gray sunlight filtered through a small high window when she stuck her head out the door.

The hallway was wide and made of a dark stone. Doorways were set in alcoves at irregular intervals along the way. One of them was set in midair just below the small smudgy window. That was the only one window that she saw and dust flittered across the singular shoot of light.

The rest of the corridor was dark and Ashling was reluctant to venture out, but what else was she to do?

The girl took a step, looking apprehensively down the darkest way.

The door slammed behind her and she jumped and twisted around to stare at the polished wood with wide eyes. A cackling filled the air and traveled up and down assaulting her ears multiple times.

Ashling stood frozen, her hands over her ears. As it subsided she let her hands fall.

"Who are you?" she kept her voice level, but when it echoed back to her it sounded scared and small. She closed her eyes in an effort to get control of herself.

"Who are _you _young mistress?" the boy appeared across from her when she opened her eyes.

"Ash-" she was cut off by a far off screech, a cross of a puma's scream and a bat.

"Mistress Ash," the boy seemed unperturbed by it, as he bowed to her.

"Ashling actually." she muttered, looking around nervously. He nodded as if he already knew.

"I am Vay." when he looked back up she noticed his eyes; full black orbs like a barn owl's.

She was curious and would have asked if something hadn't screeched again. Instead she said:

"Vay?" she thought he might be a friend and asked of her worries. "What is that?"

He looked at her superciliously as if she should know.

"The master."

**Author's Note: I need reviews here I need to know if I'm being clear. I'm begging you!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Just wanted to say Thank You! To all my reviewers, and please review again.**

Vay disappeared in a blink.

Ashling looked around, trying to spot him a doorway or a shadow. The little boy was nowhere to be found. She huffed and as she watched her breath fog, shoved her hands into her pockets.

A scritch at the dark end of the hall quickly brought her out of her annoyed mood. She fell back against the door, meaning to press her self into the wall and out of sight.

There was another fainter scritch and she threw her fear away and took a step toward it.

_It's probly just a rat, _she told herself and walked forward trying to peer around the corner despite her assurances.

she had made progress when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She whirled around to see a blonde-haired young man.

"Calm down, girl, I didn't mean to scare you." he walked around her, eyeing her as he went. Ashling watched him and finally asked:

"Who are you?"

He stopped and gave her a self-satisfied look, his lips and eyes narrowed. "Jaret, and you are Ashling." he said simply. Jaret could see ignorance in her eyes, and he took advantage of it. "Come."

Jaret turned and began to walk down the dark side of the corridor and Ashling quickly followed.

"Where are we going?" Ashling trotted to keep up with his brisk walk.

"You'll see." he was cut off as they rounded a corner and Vay stood in the path.

"The master wants to see Ashling, Jaret." he ordered. "You'll have to bait the werewolves by yourself."

At this news Ashling's eyes grew wide and Jaret took an uncomfortable step away from her. He sighed as Vay extended a hand to her and she took it.

After a blink she was in another hall even darker than before and Ashling could see only the light at the end of it. But the Bogey could see perfectly for he reached out and opened a door.

Flickering light spilled from a marble fireplace at the left wall. The back walls were bookcases, with gaps in the rows of books, where spiders and other creatures had made their homes. The other walls were whitewashed and given an eerie glow by the flames. A couch, a desk, a chair, and a armchair, all black, sat on the hard wood floor.

Dracula sat in the armchair facing her, a little girl at his side. The girl looked at Ashling with shining eyes. She looked at Dracula, he nodded and she took off toward her. Before Ashling could process this the girl's arms were wrapped around her waist.

"Mother," she said.

"What?" Ashling breathed.

"You are her mother now Ashling." Dracula's eyes glowed as he tried to put her into a trance. She fought it and he smiled at her attempt. He walked slowly toward her, his eyes getting more of a grip on her mind with every step he took.

"But-but I can't be her mother." she protested groggily.

Dracula got closer and put a hand on Sophie's dark hair. Sophie stood back from Ashling to look up to them.

Dracula leaned into Ashling's face. "You will have me to help you." he said nearly in a whisper.

Ashling flicked her head around to clear it. "But why is this child here in the first place."

Dracula looked down at Sophie as he spoke. "She might as well be mine, the villagers think she is and they prejudice her for it." he smiled at her, to clear away all the fear his serious eyes had given her. She smiled back, the light returning to her face. "She will be ours Ashling." he looked at Ashling, a strange look in his eyes that Ashling couldn't recognize.

"Master," Vay knocked on the door. "Jaret asks for your presence." he nudged open the door and caught sight of the child. His black eyes widened as he stared at Sophie.

Even as Ashling watched his eyes faded to a natural brown, the whites in them like any normal child's.

"Vay?" the boy looked up at his master, the black returning to his eyes, but now it was a fainter, a black mist. "Be kind to Sophie." he concluded.

Sophie walked toward Vay. She was a head shorter than he was but they seemed to become fast friends. "Do you want to see something cool?" Vay asked her. She nodded and before they could run off together turned to his master and told him thatJaret was in the entrance.

Dracula lead Ashling, smiling, out the door. When they reached the stairs he kissed her hand and smiled up at her, and left her to her own devices.

Ashling wandered around until she found Vay and Sophie. They were up on one of the many balconies, looking down below at Ashling.

"Hello Mother!" Sophie called, bringing a strange twang to Ashling mind. Vay waved and smiled with his needle teeth.

_Am I taking care of two kids? _Ashling asked herself just as the children ran off.

She walked around, through dark passages, and window filled halls, empty rooms full of dust. She discovered a library half full of hand written manuscripts, the other half filled with bound tomes. She sank down in one of the dusty armchairs and scanned one of the sheafs of paper. It was written in another language, though she admired it because of the vines twining their way between the letters and the colorful borders.

As the sun disappeared from her back, she heard the same screech she had heard earlier, and leaped up dropping the papers on the floor. She rushed out the door and down the hall. At the end of it she found Vay.

"Vay, what was that noise?" she asked, thinking he should know, having been there longer than her.

"The Master. You have asked me that before."

"Oh yes." she muttered. "I think panic and fear are ruining my brain."

"He has gone to feed."

"What?"

"To feed!" he insisted as Sophie came up behind him.

"Oh right." Ashling said absently not looking at him.

"Mistress, maybe you should sleep."

"Yeah, yeah, I will." Vay showed her to her room, where she crawled under the covers fully clothed and was asleep as the door closed.

She was aware faintly that in the middle of the night Sophie crept into bed with her. But then she dozed off back to dreams of huge bats and voices.

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Ashling woke to a wet in her face. It came and went in quick succession making her face cold then warm.

"Vukasin!" Sophie yelled beside her.

The wolfdog yelped gleefully, jumped over Ashing and began to lick Sophie.

"I didn't know I would find you here." Sophie spoke like it was human. Vukasin gruffed low in his throat, a noise that sounded almost like a burp.

The mangy dog must have been precious to the little girl for she hugged and pet and talked to it until Ashling said it was time to get up.

When the little girl stood Vukasin was still able to lick her face without even craning his neck he was so huge.

Ashling stretched and rubbed her eyes as Sophie went over something with the wolfdog. She discovered a divider in the corner of the room, and behind it clothes.

"And Daddy will take care of us, won't he?" the girl maintained the worry on her fair face until Vukasin licked it away.

"What are you talking about Sophie?" Ashling felt somehow older today, being placed in the care of a child. She felt she had a responsibility to calm the child's fears.

"Vuk has told me that a hunter is coming here." she explained matter-of-fact-ly

Ashling smiled faintly and decided to indulge in the child's fantasy. "I'm sure Vuk will be able to protect us, look how big he is."

As Ashling stepped behind the screen and began to undress she heard Sophie whisper: "Dracula will protect us Vuk." and a soft gruff from the dog.

"How long have you know Vuk?" Ashling asked.

"Since I was five, so a year ago." she giggled as the dog must have licked her face.

"And how old is he?" Ashling began to put her new clothes on she had found behind the screen.

"Three hundred and twenty-seven." Ashling paused. She stuck her head out from behind the screen.

"W-How?" Vuk and Sophie were arranged on the bed facing her. Vuk lay on his stomach his legs tucked under him, Sophie was cross-legged her had trailing on the dog's back

"He is a night creature." she answered sweetly.

Ashling nodded dumbly and stepped out from the divider, fully dressed. Her pants were loose and black, her long sleeved shirt was also black though not quite as loose as the pants. Over this she wore her gray jacket and discovered for the second time in two days the hole in her pocket by putting her hand in it.

She looked around sheepishly, wondering what she should do now.

"Are you hungry?" is all she came up with to ask Sophie.

Vuk barked loudly as he began to drool. Sophie laughed.

Ashling took that as a yes and started out the door, her charges following enthusiastically.

They wandered for a few minutes before Vay appeared in front of them. He showed them where they could eat. Surprisingly, the table was set with breakfast food though it was nearly noon.

Sophie sat and began to eat. Ashling sat but declined food when Vay offered.

"Aren't you going to eat anything?" Ashling asked him. She was eye level with the boy's hazy eyes even as she sat.

"I don't-I have already eaten." he said quickly and looked away.

During this exchange the wolfdog whipped his tongue onto Sophie's plate and swiped a boiled egg onto the ground.

"Hey." she protested but laughed it off.

After Sophie finished Vay offered to show her around. As the children skipped away Vuk turned and gruffed at her.

"Go on, you crazy dog." Vuk sneezed at her and pranced off.

Ashling rose and wandered aimlessly, less afraid of the place and its creatures during the day. She stopped in a dark hall and looked through a crevice in the stone about as wide as she was.

Light from a thousand candles flickered around the dark, glaring off of silver and making cobwebs glow. Ashling squeezed through the hole and stood with her mouth open on the other side.

She was in a huge room, the ceiling was so tall it was like staring into the night sky. The candles were all around, three chandeliers like giant spiders hung from the ceiling on silver chains, candelabras were placed sporadically about the room. There were no windows and nearly everything was made of stone. Above her a balcony perched on Gothic pillars.

When she took a step, bats rustled and squeaked above her, but, sensing the daylight, did not fright away. Ashling grit her teeth and took another hesitant step.

When she was far enough away from the bats to calm down she noticed the stone slab in the center of the room. Frost and ice was built up on its corners and where it touched the floor, its edges were carved with symbols, runes, and others.

More bats on the opposite wall, stirred as she leaned over it. She glanced at the animals, then determining they were far enough away, looked back down.

Dracula lay in the bottom of it, frozen in foggy ice, his arms crossed over his chest. His face was scarcely visible through the fog, but he seemed to be asleep, or was he dead?

Ashling's eyes widened, but she didn't fright.

After a moment of staring in horror, her brain kicked back in.

"It's a coffin." she breathed.

She pressed her finger to the ice just above his eyes, then snatched it back, it was cold.

So entranced was she by this mystery she did not hear the bat's wings before it hit her.

She cried out clutching her head.

Its kin opened their eyes and sprang to life flying around in a frenzy. Ashling threw herself to the ground beside the coffin, cowering in her hood.

A cracking filled the air and she heard: "Cease my children, sleep!"

Dracula; before she had not fully realized what he was but now-

He looked down at Ashling.

"You may rise now Ashling they are asleep once more."

Ashling took one look at him from underneath her hood and hid again.

Dracula hopped onto the ground and hooked the girl about the waist pulling her up beside him.

She buried her face in her hood, vividly aware of his hand on her hip and his body close to hers.

"Ashling?" his deep voice vibrated in her ears.

"No-no-this is all some dream-dream-dream." she murmured quickly, of the mind that if she said it enough it would be true.

Dracula placed his empty hand on the side of her face and turned her eyes to look at him.

"Darling Ashling, this is not a dream. I brought you here for a reason. This is where you belong." he stared into her eyes and let it sink in.

"But what reason?" she pressed her face closer to his.

He only smiled in his conniving way. "You will see in time." he told her even as her eyes became unfocused on a point to his left.

He held her still, knowing she was going into another trance. That was part of her night gift: she could see things in a place that may or have happened.

She would have fallen over if not for his arm about her waist, as she came out of it.

Dracula set her head on his shoulder and pressed his lips to her ear and whispered.

"What did you see?"

"I saw three. . . women. . . they were inhumanly pretty." her arm fell against his chest.

"My brides." he breathed.

The visions wore her out and she was asleep in the moment between her speaking and his conclusion. She would have to overcome this, Dracula decided, become stronger.

"Ashling," he jostled her.

She moaned, but she was awake, and groggily she straightened.

"Come," he told her as she looked up at him. "I would like to show you something." he offered Ashling his arm and she grabbed his hand.

Patiently, he corrected her setting her hand on the crook of his elbow, their arms entwined.

"That's weird." she said in her modern way.

"That is how it is done."

She nodded keeping in mind he knew more about this place than she did.

Dracula led her through a labyrinth of corridors, and finally out onto a balcony. He smiled brightly at the sight of Sophie and Vay playing in the room below.

It was a huge hallway, filled in neat even lines by huge stone braziers.

Vay leaped down from one of them, floating himself in the air, as Sophie fled from under him.

The girl hid behind another of the braziers and the Bogey leaped on top of it.

"Vay," Dracula yelled. "Make yourself scarce from there." Sophie looked up at Dracula's dark figure as Vay jumped down beside her.

Dracula lifted his free arm and as it rose so did the flames in the braziers below them, this happened lightning fast. The flames billowed and flickered like curtains in the wind.

Vay let out a yell of jubilation and tried to jump in the air as Sophie anchored him to the ground, with her arms around his waist in her fear.

"It's beautiful." Ashling whispered clinging closer to him, looking out at the sight.

He turned his head to look at her a smile on her face that showed his fangs. "It calls the night creatures to me."

There was apprehension in her eyes when she looked at him. "What kind of creatures?"

"Bogeys, werewolves, vampires, any kind of goblin or ghoul." his voice was full of pride at his creatures.

"What for?"

"Now," he looked back down at the children, who had returned to a new game. "To council."

**Author's Note: I know Ashling seems to be being pretty stupid, but I have good reason, which will possibly be explained in the next chapter when she sorts herself out.**


	6. Chapter 6

The next night Ashling's head felt much more clear than it had yesterday. The cause of her delierium was most likely all the fear and confusion her mind had been going through, but now she must have grown used to it. The sun had recently set and Sophie was absent from the room. As she rose she became aware of quiet voices outside the door.

"Sshh, quiet." She heard just as her hand touched the door knob.

"Ha!" She opened the door and tried to scare the children.

Sophie jumped back with a quiet shriek, though Vay seemed unperturbed. There were two other children with them: a boy and girl, not ten years old. Their blue eyes were sad and both had blonde hair.

Ashling kneeled laughing. "Did I scare you?" Sophie nodded quickly, Vay shook his head, but she got no response from the other two. "Who are they?" Ashling asked Vay, mild interest in her voice.

"Two of Master's guests' children." Vay's eyes were faded to thin fog and through the fog was glimsped emerald green eyes. Ashling didn't ask preferrring to stick to the current mystery.

"What are your names?" Ashling asked the children.

"Than." The boy answered.

"Valdis." The girl's sweet voice was like a bell.

Ashling nodded not sure what to do next. Vay filled the blank for her.

"The master asks your presence in the central room. If you would like I can lead you there."

"Yeah, sure." As she rose, and began to follow Vay down the hall, the children followed suit. She followed Vay down a maze of corridors, and tight passageways, until they reached a curve of the path, one side of which was suspended over the wrecked laboratory. Ashling stared for a moment at the werewolves lunging at each other in the room below, before Sophie wrapped herself onto her leg in fear. Ashling continued on reaching Vay in an alcove. A small clostrophobic hall lead into a large dark room.

It was as if they simply sat in shadows the room was so large. Moonlight filtered through a window into the room falling on its occupants. Dracula sat on a couch across from two others on another couch. The strangers were a man and a woman. The woman's hair was blonde as the moonlight, the man's red like fire, they were both pale as Dracula, and their fangs fell over their lips. Both sets of eyes were bright as stars and Ashling couldn't discern their color because of this.

"I understand your yearning for a child." The woman finished saying as Ashling glimsped them. "I have taken in two human children myself." She paused and looked over at the movement. "There they are: Than, Valdis come to Mummy." She cooed.

The strange children rushed into her arms, and as soon as they had Vay began to speak like a page boy. "Mistress Ashling, Master." He bowed to Dracula who nodded serenly to him.

"Vay, Sophie, you are dismissed." Dracula told them and happily they rushed off. Dracula's eyes glowed like ice at Ashling, as she felt the urge to go to him. And she did.

"This is the young woman you told me about?" The strange woman asked Dracula.

"Yes."

"I can see her night gift." She narrowed her eyes pleasantly at Ashling. "Yes." She concluded from her inspection. "What I told you was correct." She smiled tightly at Dracula. Ashling gave him a quizical look but he didn't see it.

"Good." He said simply. "I would rather tell her alone, so if you would excuse us. . ." They knew what he meant, and bowing they left. The children were even more glassy eyed than before and the woman had to whisper to them before they would bow.

Dracula nodded regally to them.

He stood up, abruptly, in front of Ashling, but he hesitated as he opened his mouth.

"Would you like to go flying?"

Without really thinking about it Ashling agreed.

Dracula led her out onto a balcony with no railing around it. The sudden rush of cold night air caught her breath, and she faltered back. He only laughed, caught her about the waist and leapt. Her breath stuck in her lungs, holding her scream with it. Wind rushed past her face, whipping her hair around. She looked around in wonder at the trees and black sky. She looked up at Dracula, but was not surprised by what she saw, simply took it as fact and let it float away in her mind.

Dracula was caught up in the sight of her. She laughed and smiled, as the wind skittered past her face. He forgot about what he had meant to tell her and decided to go with his hunger, instead, as his course of action this night. He did not care if she saw it, for sooner of later he decided she would have to do it also.

Finally, he landed between the trees. He set Ashling down, still giggling. Dracula smirked and walked away from her looking over his shoulder seductively.

_Would you like to play a game? _His mind whispered to her. The smile on her face and her quiet laughter was answer enough. He walked around a tree and looked at her, the smirk growing on his face. He ducked back around it but-

-he was gone. Ashling couldn't help but laugh out loud at this.

"Dracula?" She called. The smile still smeared on her face she went around the tree, expecting to find him hiding behind it. But he wasn't. She looked off to a stand of leafy trees, just behind it.

Moonlight filtered through the leaves, turning the ground slightly green. A noise reached her ears; a snap, a low growl, coming from before her. Ashling pushed her way through the branches and saw who she was looking for.

Dracula had his back to her, his head ducked down, and a muffled sucking assaulting her ears. Ashling watched for a moment, entranced in this strange act. The light came from directly above them, creating a halo above Dracula's head.

"Drac-" was all she managed to say before he spun around. His eyes were as bright as flame, his teeth bared over his lips.

Slowly the feral look faded and, almost in shame, he threw the animal away from him. Perhaps he did care if Ashling saw him. He looked down somberly, leaving his hands limp at his sides. "It is what I must do to survive." He told her.

She looked down, sad at his seemingly sorrowful tone. Then something tinged at her brain. "I wouldn't mind it." She said boldly.

Dracula smiled sadly as he turned back to face her, his eyes now dull. "Perhaps you may someday."

He took her back to the castle, the trip seemed slower and less exciting to Ashling and she took time to look around. She saw very little, for the moon was a sliver in the sky.

When they were back, Dracula told her to follow him and he lead her into a room, bare but for a few chairs and a table.

"Marion," Dracula adressed the blonde woman she had seen earlier. "Would you please explain her gift to her. . . the word have escaped me." Quickly, with a strange dimness and a shadow across his face, he went out.

"Ashling," she began. Ashling walked slowly forward. "You have a night gift. Which means you, normally a creature of the light, have been endowed, or cursed whichever way you may see it, with a power. Yours is second sight. Meaning you see things that have either gone on in the past or will come about. But you must be in the place that it happened."

"That's why I've been having all those weird. . . dream things?" She nodded. "Why has it just now kicked in?"

"It may be," she stopped looked away, thinking. "Stress or when Dracula brought you here triggered something in you." She looked back up, a bright smile on her face.

"Is that all?" Ashling asked.

The woman nodded, still as bright and sure as ever.

"Well, that doesn't sound so bad."

"Oh, don't be so sure." She interjected. "The strength needed to control it, suppress it, use it, may cause your brain to become fuddled or confused."

"Ok." Ashling sighed. "Well, thank you, if I may uh. . ." She trailed off, her thoughtfulness ended.

"Call on me for help? Of course."

"Exactly." The woman had guessed her thoughts. Well, what did she expect? She was a vampire.

"Excuse me."

"Do whatever you wish, I'm sure my children will be more than happy to lead you back to me if you must."

Ashling respectfully backed out of the room, and into the dark hall.

"Mistress?" Vay stood before her, the three other children at his back.

"Vay, can you take me back to my room?" She asked quietly, wanting to have a peaceful place to think.

"Of course."

Ashling stood at the window in her room, staring but not seeing the stars and moon, partially covered by clouds, when someone knocked.

"Come in." She called, a little quizzically.

"Mistress?" Vay opened the door a crack. The green shone brightly through the fog on his eyeballs, telling of happiness, and fun.

His eyes caught her and she voiced the concern she that had afflicted her for the day. "Vay, what is wrong with your eyes?" Ashling crouched in front of him and brushed some of his black hair away from his eyes.

Sophie rushed in behind him, holding a bundle in her arms, the same joy on her face as on Vay's. She was in a dress all silk and lace, and her feet made a muffled tapping as she moved. "He is too old to be bogey anymore." She explained, innocently.

Ashling smiled humorously at her happy tone which didn't seem to fit the sentence. Sophie strolled on past them and set her bundle, rustling on to the bed.

"And what will become of you Vay?"

He shrugged as if he didn't care much. "I will become almost like the master, but without immortality and not dependent on blood." She wasn't sure how to respond and stayed quiet looking at the strange boy. "It is a coming-of-age for me; don't feel sad." He told her.

"Ashling, look what the master gave you!" Sophie called, with not a little excitement making her bounce up and down.

Vay grinned at his mistress and bounded over to Sophie. Ashling, too, consumed by curiosity, went over to the bed.

Sophie had layed out what she had been carrying: a dress. Ashling looked at it in awe, a beautiful thing it was, expensive beyond belief.

"He asks you to put it on and join him-" Sophie cut him off with her screech of excitement she had been holding back.

"For a ball!" Her grin widened on her face, and she beamed at her mother. Ashling grinned too, though her eyes were much more sober.

Author's Note: No updates for a week. I'm going to camp:D


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Note: Sorry for the long wait; been busy.

Dracula lead Ashling in on his arm, elegant in a sweeping black cape, a gold mask hiding his eyes. The mask was pointed down at his cheeks mirroring the fangs in his mouth. His hair was down though half of it was gathered up into a gold clasp.

Ashling wore a white dress, to tell of her innocence. The corset long sleeved top though looked like the low collar was stained with blood. A long red chain necklace hung down over her chest, its charm a fang as long as her pinky. Her mask was white and a plain round shape, red paint was spattered across it.

Their entrance was greated with clapping and bowing, as they went past. Dracula bade hello to his subjects all the while keeping Ashling's arm securely around his and her eyes directly ahead, lest she should fall into another's trance. In the center of the floor, he stopped and faced her, putting his arm around her waist and pulling her to him.

The music began anew, a sweeping waltz, and they danced, Ashling falling further and further into Dracula's trance. Somehow she managed not to trip over her dress, instead focusing on her partner's glowing blue eyes. They danced closer together as the evening went on.

Ashling was only faintly aware when Dracula would introduce her to various other vampires who she could not remember.

"What am I to do my love," Dracula said to her, as she lulled against him as they twirled. "When you can no longer hold yourself up?" He chuckled with an evil smile, and to his surprise she answered.

"Lay me down." He dipped her, then pulled her up until her face was not an inch from his.

"I like that answer." Her eyes were blurry, through her mask, as she looked up at him, she smiled suggestively and he smiled back.

Finally a slow, calm song played, and they followed suit, nearly staying in one place as they danced. Ashling leaned against Dracula's chest, and stared into his eyes, though they no longer glowed. With everyone moving around them, Dracula stopped, tore her mask off, and shook off his own. Her let his finger trail down her cheek and simply stared at her.

Ashling could no longer take the suspense, she pushed her mouth onto his.

For the three years he had been dead he had felt nothing, only seen the world through Ashling's eyes. Since before that he had never been willingly kissed by someone with warm blood in their veins, and it was ecstasy for him just to feel her lips against his own.

Ashling pulled away from him. As he stared into her eyes he realized this simple kiss had awoken something inside of him. No longer was it simply the want of a child, but of her, for herself not what she could give him.

They danced the rest of the night taking in little more than each other's eyes.

- - - - -

The next night Ashling wasn't sure what had woken her but as she listened she heard to the distant chatter of people. She dressed fast, and flung the door to her room open, and gasped as she nearly stepped out onto Vay.

Before she could even form a sentence on her lips he said: "Mistress, I was told to see to you when you woke."

"Okay, but why?"

"The master's guests are here and he doesn't want anything to happen to you. Some of the younger ones are quite dumb." He told her.

"Ash!" Sophie burst out of nowhere as they walked along, and clung to Ashling's hand.

"What, what is it?" Ashling giggled, partly at Vay's statement and at Sophie.

"We're excited to see you." She shrugged,and her chosen mother laughed again. Vukasin bounded up to them, and trotted along at their back.

Vay lead them off toward the noise of people. As the group rounded a corner Ashling Marion took up her vision, her two children at her side.

"Ashling there you are." She said, smiling. "I wish to introduce you to the others, if you would let me."

"Of course." Ashling nodded.

"Vay," Marion looked down at him. "Will you take Than and Valdis with you?"

He nodded, eager to please, but he had a slightly disappointed air about him. Marion gave him a sympathetic smile and turned to Ashling.

Marion lead her into a room full of people, some with gleaming eyes, long fingernails and protruding fangs. Most of the men were dressed in black cloaks, or suits, some with jewelry draping their necks, ears, and wrists. Others in more modern coats without decoration of any sort. The women who were few, dressed mostly in tight thin dresses, or what one might expect a witch to wear, shawls, cloaks and the like.

"Why can't Vay come into this room?" Ashling whispered to her companion. She had sensed the tension between the two as Vay had left.

"He is changing and most vampires deem beings unclean and unfit to be around during a change." She nodded as Marion smiled sweetly to some of the room's occupants. Ashling settled beside her on a couch in the near corner of the dark cavernous room.

"Why do you bring this human among us Marion?" A stout blonde-headed man asked from the opposite corner of the room. He was surrounded by women, two on the couch by his side and three at his feet. All wore low-cut skimpy dresses, and jewelry beyond the possibility of counting.

"Do you not know who she is?" Marion spoke calmly, confidently, even as every pair of sparkling eyes in the room turned upon her. She spoke to the room at large, as the other man turned away from her, his lip curling. "Mistress Ashling, Dracula's guest."

There were sounds of recognition all around the room, and the occasional scoff.

"Ah, the next bride I presume?" Another man addressed her from thier left. His eyes were much more dull than everyone else's and his skin darker, much as his brown hair. Most of the vampires laughed softly.

Ashling responded to this, with a wry smile. "I'm not sure I would talk so cavalier if I were you. I might take offense." She held a serious look before cracking a wide grin at his surprise. As she did the vampires laughed outright, some of the women covering thier mouths daintily with their hands.

"You shall be a wonderful change from his last harem." A woman on her right leaned over and whispered to Ashling. Not sure how to respond she only smiled politely, but she was soon distracted.

"Now that we have been introduced to our new mistrress, what is she doing as your protege, Marion?" The first man spoke sarcastically. He had not laughed with the others.

"I have not thought of her that way before, Onyar." Marion mused thoughtfully. "But, to answer you question: she has second sight." She smiled pleasantly at him, at which he turned away in slight disgust.

A seemingly young red-headed girl, with a soft kind face and a peach colored dress, gasped softly and asked in a rush: "Has she seen anything of Van Helsing?" Many around the room agreed softly, and looked to them for an answer.

"It is not that sort of sight, Jessebelle." Marion explained gently.

"Oh." Jessebelle sat back, disappointed. A stiff silence permeated the room until

"We should bring the child-killer to our justice." Someone spoke harshly.

The room was filled with outbursts of anger. Marion sat back on the seat, her eyes absent of their brightness, for the first time Ashling had seen. The girl looked around stunned at the sudden commotion and volume.

She barely heard Jessebelle say: "He killed my father." And other lamentations of loss. Some were planning out their revenge, filled with gory horrible details and hate-

"Yes!" Marion's calm voice broke through the ruckus at which all stopped their conversations, and looked at her. "We have all lost someone whether in the distant past of lately." She looked into each other their eyes forcing calm into them through her glowing pupils. Anger was dulled by her gaze in most of the vampires' eyes though some only became more hateful as she looked. "If it is meant to come about his deeds will be repayed."

- - - - -

Van Helsing woke in a cold sweat, gasping from his so vivid dream of that dreadful night he had dreamt of many times. Some time the events of Anna's death were layed out before him just as they had taken place. Other tiems it was transformed into a horrible massacre, where he, as a werewolf, had ripped Anna and Carl to pieces and reamined in his feral state.

The moon was low, the night young, but he saw the shining orb was perfectly round. They had planned for this night. He, Carl, and his boy, Ahlf, had armed themselves in preparation to find the little girl that had been taken. Unless she was dead, they would take her back to her mother.

- - - - -

Sophie, Vay, Than, and Valdis played between the stalagmites of a room much like a cave. It was below one of the towers and quite cold. But neither the children nor their watcher seemed to feel it.

Dracula sat on the last step, carved from stone, and watched them run around in their mindless game. All of their breath appeared in the air as puffs of mist. Dracula planned to ignore the rest of the vampires for as long as he could, he knew they could keep themselves busy with their conference. Until they needed him he would content himself with the carefree young ones.

Young ones. . . the boy with Van Helsing was as good as his son, perhaps he was his enemy's weakness. Dracula grinned that this seemingly insignificant train of thought had lead him to such an idea.

Vay groaned good-naturedly, as he was tagged for the fourth time in ten minutes. He seemed to be the slow one in their game. Dracula knew from prior bogeys who had served him, that the change was upon him, and soon, it would either kill him or turn him.

Author's Note: Ah! The suspense! Well, maybe not but. . .reviews will make it faster! and thank you for all the previous reviews.


	8. Chapter 8

Slowly the room of vampires' talk drew back into separate conversations, and Ashling listened to what Marion and others had to say. She preferred not to join in, as she had not an idea what to say, nor, sometimes, did she know what they were talking about.

"My village is in an uproar," she heard a Russian woman saying, "The spirits have been howling in the wind for ages now, and. . ."

". . . There seems to be no other active hunter other than Van Helsing. If we can destroy him we will have the world to ourselves." Onyar, the blonde man who seemed to oppose every word Marion said, spoke with an evil gleam in his eye.

"Yes, but. . ."

"Something about her, it's just too weird, not of either-"

"Mistress," the vampire with dull eyes and dark skin and hair stood, bowed slightly, in front of her. He chuckled nervously before speaking. "I hope my comment earlier did not strike a nerve. . ."

"Oh, no not at all." Ashling smiled warmly, trying to emulate the calm Marion had. "But, um, what did you really mean by it?"

His eyebrows went up, and his mouth twisted around as if he had said something he shouldn't have. "You do not know of his past?"

She shook her head.

"Well, uh, he had three former brides-"

"Three?" Ashling asked incredulously.

"Excuse me." She heard Marion say politely to her companions, when she still stared at the man wondering. "Ashling," she hissed to her. "There is something I need to tell you." Marion gripped her wrist and rose to walk out.

"We have to warn Dracula. If he takes us by surprise-"

"What?"

"Erhar!" The man jumped as Marion addressed him. He had followed them meekly into the deserted corridor. "What are you doing?"

"Um-um-um-nothing."

"Good, then you can help us."

- - - - -

Marion told them of her vision of Van Helsing preparing to sneak into the castle. She didn't know exactly what he would do, but judging by past experience he would try to kill as many as he could.

She knew that if herself or Erhar were to tell the vampires at large, Onyar and his supporters would cut them down and deny them, rallying more to their side as they threatened and insulted. Therefore she had sent the young vampire to tell a select few who could then band together with him to gather the rest.

"They tend to think they are completely invincible." Marion told her as they strode down a hall, with one side of windows letting in the low full moonlight. "And to some things we are. A stab in the stomach, bash on the head, but a dagger through the heart is instant death. And Van Helsing is practiced at that. He knows how to move quietly so we do not sense him. Only, I think, Dracula may be safe from him. Unless of course he has a werewolf working for him, which is very unlikely." Marion was nervous, for she rattled on and on. It seemed talking kept her calm, it was where she was comfortable.

Ashling nodded, only half listening, wondering where the children had gone.

Marion groaned and Ashling flicked her head up.

"It's no use, I cannot find Dracula for some reason, my mind is fuddled."

- - - - -

Carl placed the blue crystal carefully in its silver saucer of holy water, and gasped as it began to glow from within, a bright white light. It flashed once like lightning, then dimmed and confined itself to sit steadily inside the crystal.

"What is that?" Ahlf kneeled down before him, the Valerios' map at his back.

"It's a sapphire-crystal, and while sitting in holy water it is said to have magical properties, and night creatures have an aversion to silver so I am hoping this combination will dull their senses."

Ahlf nodded dumbly, his eyebrows hiding in his bangs, and continued to stare at the pretty light.

"Trying your hand at witchcraft Carl?" Van Helsing came up behind the friar, fitting a knife into his belt.

"Oh, I wouldn't say that. Just something I worked out." He said lightly taking the saucer in his hands and raising up.

Van Helsing grunted, and took a step toward the map. Ahlf scuttled up from the floor and stood back, as Van Helsing kneeled to fit the final corner in place. The boy stared in open-mouthed awe as the map slowing revealed the mirror.

"Come along." Without even looking back Van Helsing went through the portal, and Carl, clutching the bowl, and gulping, followed him.

Ahlf sucked in a breath and puffed up his chest, trying to be brave. Then, a haunting, evil cackle echoed from the mirror and he deflated below even how small he was. Then the voice echoed back from behind him, sounding louder from hitting the many walls, separating, then joining again.

Ahlf shot through the barrier, without another thought.

- - - - -

"Try calling Vay." Marion told Ashling. "He is your servant, he will answer you."

She did not understand much, but she knew how to obey orders.

"Vay?" She called and a moment later heard it echo back to her. He did not appear, so she tried again. "Va-" she sucked in a haggard breath, as Marion's image before her was replaced by a fierce man running, a stake in his hand, down the hall. Moonlight flooded in from above, throwing his fast moving shadow across the floor. Ashling looked where he was looking, and saw Dracula holding the blurry figure of a dark haired boy, his fangs pressed to his neck. Just as the first drop of blood trickled down his neck, the man yelled and cursed, and Dracula bit deeper.

She felt herself being shaken. She tore her eyes open and saw Marion's anxious eyes in front of her.

"What did you see?"

"I'm not sure."

- - - - -

Dracula sensed them not immediately but slowly as someone walking into a room, being introduced to each of his senses separately.

Van Helsing, another man, and the boy he had seen, had now entered his castle.

"Good." He murmured, and let his eyes refocus on the children.

Vay stood stock still, and, as Dracula watched, began to waver on the spot, his eyes unblinking and his breathing nearly stopped. Sophie screeched, as he began to fall and Dracula was there in an instant, lowering him gently toward the ground. The events of the moment before were forgotten when he saw the color drain from Vay's face and his eyes grow hazy and unfocused. He gasped for air, his chest seeming to want to bust from it. His fingers twitched and his lips moved with unspoken words.

"What's wrong with him?" Sophie asked, her lips quivering.

"Than, Valdis, find your mother tell her to find me. I will need her help." Dracula finally looked up at them. "Sophie go with them." He gathed the boy into his arms as the other three took off up the stairs, Sophie throwing glances over her shoulder.

- - - - -

Than and Valdis stopped at the top of the stairs, squinted their eyes, and looked at each other.

"What is it?" Sophie asked.

"We cannot find her." Valdis said.

Her brother added, "It is as if someone was covering out eyes, but instead it is our powers."

"No matter," Valdis continued. "She must be with the others, all we have to do is find them."

It didn't take them long to find the corridor where all the vampires were milling around.

Than and Valdis called for their mum, while Sophie stared around worriedly. She wrung her hands together wishing she could find Ashling, and thinking of what was wrong with Vay. Something nudged her back, and Sophie discovered Vukasin had found her. His reassuring warmness under her hand dissipated some of her anxiety.

It didn't help however, that many of the vampires looked at her with gleaming eyes, and twitching fingers. Most turned away when they realized who she was, but Vukasin had taken to growling at those who wouldn't. The air was filled with strings of tension, and the people stood around in little clumps whispering, though she didn't see the reason to.

When Sophie caught up with Than and Valdis she saw a young woman kneeled before them. Her face was kind and Sophie liked her on sight. She could see she wore pants underneath her pink skirt.

The two children were tripping over their words as they tried to explain to her.

"Jessebelle, we have to-"

"You have to help us-"

"Dracula-"

They usually would speak in unison, but just as they had told Sophie of their powers being dampened it must have messed with their very minds. Both of them stopped, looked at each other, then said as one:

"Vay collapsed!"

Than continued: "Dracula told us to bring Marion to him."

"To help Vay." His sister finished.

"What happened to Vay?" Ashling dislodged herself from the crowd and kneeled beside Sophie. Before she could get an answer the little girl threw herself into her arms and began to speak hysterically. Ashling couldn't understand a word of it, so she tried to shush her, which Vukasin helped along by licking her tears away.

"He must be sick." Valdis looked serenely at Ashling her blonde hair framing her face. Her eyes were tinged with fear and worry.

What Marion had said about Vay undergoing a change suddenly popped into her mind. Sophie had quieted and the wolf-dog now sat like a guardian at their side. Marion glided up to her children and whispered to them. A few words passed between the three them Marion stood up straight and addressed the gathed vampires.

"Please, everyone, quiet." They stopped before she even finished with the last word. "I have seen that we are to be attacked. I have no idea how big the force is nor how they plan to do it, but we must take precautions. I am sure you have all felt you senses dulling, some of you can no longer feel another's mind or use your gifts. This must surely mean that they have a magic on their side a witch or magician. Because of this damper I have not been able to contact Dracula, but _I_ ask that you find a place to stay out of the way and if you are needed we will call." She nodded in finality, and a murmur returned to the room, as the crowd dissipated. Onyar and a few others behind him, sauntered up to Marion.

He cleared his throat. "You cannot expect all of us to stay inside out of the way can you? We are fighters Marion, and," he rolled his eyes. "We shall do what you ask."

"No, I do not. And, yes, I should like you to patrol, in twos, around the place."

He nodded, and began to direct his men where to go.

"What should we do Marion?" Jessebelle asked, placing her hand on her shoulder.

"I want you and the children to wait. Find a large room where they can play and watch them, please."

Jessebelle nodded and gathered Than and Valdis around her.

"Sophie," Ashling whispered to her, holding her head up to look at her. "I want you to go with them."

"Where are you going? I want to stay with you. What will happen to you?" She rushed out her little face contorted with concern.

"I will stay with Marion." She chuckled a little. "Nothing will happen to me."

"Well, I'm sending Vuk to guard you. You will wont' you Vuk?" She added uncertainly.

Vuk dipped his head ever so slightly, but she knew it was a yes.

"Jessebelle, will you take her too?" Ashling asked her.

"Of course I will." She kneeled down and beamed at Sophie. "If you don't like me you can at least play with Than and Valdis."

The little girl smiled sheepishly and turned away with her and was soon talking animatedly to her. Vukasin pressed his huge head to her knee, as they watched.

"What are we to do?" She asked Marion.

"We need to find Dracula."

- - - - -

"How are we to get in?" Carl was kneeled in the snow, digging a small hole in which to place his saucer of holy water. "You can't just jump over the gate now."

Ahlf had been told all about their previous encounter with Dracula, and didn't have to ask what he was talking about. Through Van Helsing's tellings, he had met Anna, a wonderful woman, who had lost her family to Dracula's evil. Damn him, who had killed her.

"He killed her," Van Helsing had told him, "by ripping her throat out with his fangs." He had been told this after learning everything he could about her. Her kindness, her love, her courage, seemed hardly a reason to kill her. He then vowed he would avenge her death, even though Van Helsing often told him to control his temper, which he did very poorly compared to his apprentice. This vendetta, started on account of someone he had never met, had at first made him eager to kill Dracula, but then Van Helsing had said he used to witness this all the time from other vampires and had set him on killing the entire vampire kind. 'How dare they,' he thought. 'Kill such people who they do not even deserve to meet.' He spit at the thought.

Van Helsing stared up at the distant opening above the gate. "Well, I guess we'll have to climb." He turned to look back at Ahlf. "Are you ready boy?"

"Yes, sir." He started forward taking the rope from around his shoulder, and uncurling it.

- - - - -

Author's Note: Am I being clear? And if you have no idea what I'm talking about in being clear, I guess I am, clear that is. I'm rambling now. . . great.


	9. Chapter 9

"How are we going to find him?" Ashling asked as she and Marion raced along the corridor.

Marion did not answer at first, only continued to walk briskly on, flicking her head from side to side, before sighing and saying, "I do not know. But we know where he was before Vay collapsed, therefore he mustn't be far from there."

She took off again and Ashling and Vuk had no choice but to follow her.

- - - - -

Thunder shook the sky as Jessebelle and the children played in the ballroom. It was the biggest room she could think of and the one that was bound to be void of objects and people. As the rumble resounded around them, the children stopped skipping from tile to tile and looked up expectantly at the ceiling. Jessebelle looked too thinking they might see something she couldn't, but there were only the shadows hiding there.

Than and Valdis turned their heads to look out the window. They turned at once and darted toward Jessebelle. Just as she was about to ask what was wrong the sky lit up in a bolt of lightning and the thunder shook the room. Then it was dark, completely dark, as if something had blotted out the moon and stars.

Sophie, left standing in the center of the huge room, began to feel very small and powerless.

"This isn't a natural storm." She barely heard Than say it as it was drowned out by the next pound of thunder. Sophie whimpered and covered her ears.

"What is it then?"

Sophie did not hear the answer over the thunder, but she saw Than and Valdis' faces with the next lightning flash. Fear, and horror plastered over their faces.

Their fear started a whole slideshow of horrible things running through Sophie's mind, and the thought that consumed her was to find Ashling, there she would be safe, Dracula had said she was her mother now.

She ran through the darkness to where she knew the door was, and wrenched it open, running out into even more pitch blackness.

- - - - -

Ashling flung a door open and had nearly closed it before she saw Vay laid out on the bed against the opposite wall. Vuk stumbled in after her.

"Marion!" She called into the hall, then ran inside.

"Don't touch him!" Dracula sat in the corner of the room. His glowing blue eyes were the only way Ashling knew it was him, as dark as it was.

"What's wrong with him?" Ashling asked as Marion ran to them. Dracula stood and came to Vay's other side across from Ashling.

"He is changing." He looked down at the boy a cold distance in his eyes keeping him from showing feeling. "He needs time to sort himself out." He nodded decidedly to himself, and looked at Marion. "Do you think it's all right to leave him here?"

She nodded, "It should be. It can sometimes take days for them to . . . become."

- - - - -

Sophie finally saw a thread of light ahead of her and headed toward it stumbling against the icy walls. With the light came voices.

"Now, Ahlf, we must be alert for anything, the slightest of noises can give them away before they pounce." A deep voice which Sophie crept back from as its owner came into view.

A tall dark man, trench coat, hat, and various weapons on him. A boy followed him, equally dark but much smaller, with a round kind face. Sophie liked the look of him. Perhaps he was a friend, another vampire's child.

- - - - -

As Dracula, Marion, Ashling, and Vuk trotted down the hall, Marion explained about her vision, and the assembled vampires' powers floating out of their grasp.

"It hasn't affected me." Dracula said.

"It wouldn't, nothing seems to be able to overcome you."

_If only you knew. _He thought of werewolves, and suddenly, "Listen!" He halted, Vuk nearly running into his knee. Footsteps and voices were apparent to him, but neither of his companions could hear it, but Vuk could.

A growl started deep in the wolf-dog's chest, but before it could elevate, Dracula clamped his hands around his snout.

"Go." He told Marion and Ashling, whose hand he clasp to reassure her. Vuk stayed with him, ever a faithful servant, crouching near the floor, to spring. The two crept toward an opening, nothing more than a few missing bricks in the wall, and a new smell reached the odd allies' noses.

Vuk realized who it was before Dracula did, and, as his master strode confidently through the hole toward Van Helsing and his boy, the wolf-dog whimpered.

"Van Helsing, you've decided to join the party!" Dracula was like a joyous host in his speech, though, his thoughts and the murderous gleam in his eyes told otherwise. The moon threw their shadows long on the ground. Van Helsing shoved Ahlf behind him, and the boy fled while he pulled out a stake from his coat.

Vuk was also absent, having slunk away to trace his girl's scent, she was near he knew.

"I didn't know I had received an invitation. I decided to crash." Van Helsing's stake gleamed. Without missing a beat, he charged, the stake held before him, like the baronet on a gun.

Within seconds this happened:

Vuk was feet away from snatching Sophie's dress and dragging her further from the fight, when she flew forward away from him. Plunging herself directly in front of Van Helsing's stake. His thoughts of 'revenge' consuming him, Van Helsing flung her aside, against the wall, with a hole below her heart and a concussion, and pain blinding her. Vukasin thrust through the crevice in the wall, scratching fur off his sides on the stones, and biting Van Helsing firmly on the wrist, keeping the stake down, and bringing him to the ground. Dracula went to Sophie while he had the time, and saw her injuries. She bled profusely from her heart and head. He grit his teeth and breathed heavily as he made his decision. Quickly, and painlessly, he drained her of her blood, and sent her into black death.

_Surely heaven waits for you. _He thought, and truly hoped it did.

Vukasin yelped as Van Helsing slashed his side, and before he could prepare himself Dracula was on him, screeching like a bat, choking him.

_**Author's Note: **_I know VH and Drac's taunts are so nerdy. Sorry for taking so long, school is hell, and geometry has stuck a knife in my chest and is slowly twisting. I'll try to get the next one up soon.


	10. Chapter 10

_**Thank you for the reviews it boosted my moral!  
**_  
Dracula screamed as a burning pain rammed into his shoulder. As Dracula loosed his hold in shock, Van Helsing reared up and tried to get a knife out of his boot.

"Good work, Ahlf." Van Helsing said as he watched Dracula stumble around trying to reach the stake nearly centered on his spine. Ahlf had ran out a back way and came around the other side to the hole previously occupied by Sophie and then her wolf-dog, then had ran through after he had seen the wolf leap on Van Helsing. "Now, stand back!" Dracula had gotten the stake out of his back and was holding it before his face looking curiously at his own blood.

He smiled toothily as Van Helsing held up his own weapon and let his demon side take over. He became the huge grey bat, and flew at him carelessly discarding the bloody stake. Van Helsing did not stand a chance against Dracula's rage and was thrown to the far end of the long corridor like room. By some miracle of magic or God he sustained no fatal injuries during this event. Ahlf squeezed back into the hole and stared wide-eyed at them trying to decide whether to help or not. 'no' he decided, he had no weapons and he was small.

Dracula slowly, breathing heavily, morphed back into his human form, letting the gray skin slide off him like water droplets. As soon as he was whole he watched VH rise and his eyes go to Ahlf in the corner. A grand scheme dawned upon him and as soon as he had thought it he had Ahlf cinched in his grip. VH still watched, and the boy wide-eyed and mute with terror, Dracula lowered his head to Ahlf's neck VH whipped out another stake, and as moonlight flooded in from above, throwing his fast moving shadow across the floor, he ran toward them. Dracula held the dark haired boy, his fangs pressed to his neck. Just as the first drop of blood trickled down his neck, VH yelled and cursed, and Dracula bit deeper. Just as VH was ready to strike Dracula moved suddenly, striking him so hard across the room, he burst through the bricks into the other room, breaking his left leg. He threw Ahlf down, nearly dead, and, making a point to look away from Sophie's body, walked, as if at a ball, toward VH. Dracula grabbed his unconscious enemy's broken leg and hauled him down the stairs to the dungeon, letting his head bump over every step on the way down.

"Marion," said Ashling and she stopped on their way back to Jessebell and the children. "What was I thinking?!" She threw her hands up in exasperation. "We can't just leave them there!" she spoke of Dracula and Vuk. And then it hit her. "My vision!" Without waiting for Marion to reply she turned and ran.

- - - - -

Ashling screamed when she saw Sophie's body propped in a sitting position against the wall, her eyes staring straight. She covered her eyes with her hands, falling to the floor hoping it was all just a horrible vision she could prevent.

"Ashling, help me." She hadn't n oticed Marion come in after her and kneel beside the unconscious Ahlf. "Ashling," Marion grabbed her wrist, in an uncharacteristic display of desperation. "She feels no pain but he does, now help me!" Marion sounded hoarse. "Hold his hand and if he moves hold him down."

Marion toook his jaw in one hand and bit her own wrist enough to bleed and let it drip in his motuh. He did not move, as Ashling held his hand and cried, unable to escape the endless gaze of Sophie's corpse.

- - - - -

When she had finished Marion called Onyar to her and he carried Ahlf back up to the main floor and to a room used for conference. One long table filled the center lined with chairs and one at each end. Couches faced the center on all sides, and on one of these Onyar set Ahlf gently. Ashling also collapsed in one of these, and held her face in her hands crying. Marion stood in a corner her chin in one hand a spacey look in her eyes. Onyar stood near Ahlf looking him over and checking his pulse at odd intervals. In a few moments Dracula entered looking haggard his hair falling into his eyes out of its usual clip. Blood trailed from his lips. without showing he noticed anyone in the room he fell into the chair at the head of the table.

"Marion!" Marion jerked out of her thoughtful state and looked at him. "Assemble them." he said shortly. He looked vicious leaning forward over the table his hands in his lap his eyes icy. The room temperature had decreased rapidly as he had entered, and frost formed on Ashling face where her now dry tears had run across her cheeks.

Marion left and in a few moments vampires began to enter in twos and threes and little groups. They sat down knowing where they should be, some at the couches other in the chairs who were more imortant, Dracula's councilors.

Dracula spoke when all the chairs around the table had been filled, and Marion had repositioned herself in the corner.

He looked down as he spoke, his eyes unseeing. "I know about your vendetta against VH and now I have more reason to hate him." He did not speak directly about Sophie. "He is in a cell with a broken leg downstairs. I have had my fun with him, I give him to you."

A veritable herd of vampires raced out of the room, respectfully quiet of their leader. Only Ashling, Marion, Onyar, and Ahlf remained. Ashling got up and fell into Draula's lap. They put their arms around each other and Ashling cried while Dracula whispered over and over: "She's dead. She's dead."

- - - - -

Carl watched as the last of the holy water was sucked up by the crystal. He put his hand to his mouth worryingly: the spell was up and all the vampires powers will have been unfogged.

"Something has happened to him." He said to himself. "I have to go help him."

Carl trotted toward the huge entrance to Dracula's castle. He squeaked in fear at the sheer size of it. He turned and continued to trot along the wall looking for anther perhaps smaller way in.

He heard a rattling coming from somewhere ahead and below him. He raced toward it and was pleased to find a grate just at the bottom of the stone, about two feet square. He fell to his hands and knees to look.

"Carl!" VH was the one rattling, as he was chained to the wall, his hands above his head. His clothes were covered in brick dust,both his eyes were black, and his nose looked puffy and crooked.

"Yes, yes, not so much noise, they could hear you!" He paused, then, "How did you get int here?"

"Oh, bugger that, I've brought up the alarm! And by Dracula no less." He sighed, underestimating the friar's ingenuity. "Do you have a way to get me out of here?"

Carl grinned, and pointing at the grate said: "Vanesco." the grate disappeared with a hollow ping as if he had tapped it.

"Dabbling in magic I see."

"You have no idea." Carl's voice was high-pitched when he said it, admitting his former lie.

Somehow he managed to lower himself into the cell without falling or breaking anything though he did suffer a scrapes on his palms.

"Apertus," Van Helsing's hands fell out of his chains and he rubbed them.

"My leg is broken. Got a magic trick for that?" he groaned.

Carl shook his head, "You're just going to have to rough it." He put his arms aroudn VH's shoulders and helped him toward the wall under the grate. Carl managed to clambor up himself, and, through a few more works of magic, haul VH out onto the ground outside, and support him through the portal

By the time the vampires reached his cell, there was no sign of him.

- - - - -

For the next few days Dracula and Ashling locked themselves up and drowned in a pool of their own grief. The day after her death, Marion took Sophie and buried her out in the open, where the sunlight could reach her, in the courtyard, marking the spot with a large mottled blue stone. Marion was also left with the responsibility of carrying on the council. She did this very well, telling the vampires of Dracula's ressurection and letting the councilors share news of themselves to each other. Many little pacts were made, which, according to custom, Dracula would have preceded over, but in his absence, Marion took the job. Two days later, it was over and only Marion, Onyar, Jessebelle and Erhar. Two of Onyar's servants and Marion's family were also there.

On the third day of Dracula's and Ashling's absence Ahlf stirred on the couch he lay on. As Onyar heard him rustle he rose and came over to him.

"Who are you?" Ahlf immediately asked.

"How are you feeling?" Onyar ignored him. His expression never changed as Ahlf nearly yelled, from seeing a glint in his eyes and mouth.

"You're a vampire." He tried to sit up but misplaced blood forced him to lay back.

"And so are you, by the looks of it." Ahlf moved his tongue around in his mouth feeling two sharp points.

"It will take a few days for your senses to develop."

"No, no, no , no. . . ."

"You had better not m ove; it will make you sick." Calmly, he turned and walked out of the room shutting the door softly. As soon as it did, Ahlf, of course, tried to move. He launched himself up and instead fell face down on the ground as blood moved too quick in his veins. He lay there dizzy and disoriented; for maybe two minutes, before the door opened again.

"You foolish boy!" A kindly feminen voice admonished him.

Nearly cold hands pulled him up and back into bed. Ahlf saw her lips move but could not hear her voice, for the blood rushing in his head.

She turned to the man and her lips moved again, he shook his head. Finally, as she turned back to him he caught the tail end of a question.

"-your name?"

"Ahlf."

"Where are your parents, Ahlf?" Her voice was clear, calm, and soothing, he decided he would like her, if he weren't under these circumstances.

"Dead."

"Oh, oh, I'm sorry." He saw a glint in her mouth.

"No-no, you're not." Whether he was wishing she wasn't a vampire or saying she wasn't sorry, he couldn't decide. "You're- You're a vampire, you kill people."

"We try only to kill the wicked Ahlf, but I'm afraid some of us have less control than others." Her eyes and voice turned stony.

"Marion perhaps he should talk to Ashling." Onyar supplied.

"Ashling will not come out." Her eyes saddened.

"Very well, we'll leave you but you too will soon know how it feels."

They left and Ahlf, not of his own accord, drifted off to sleep, once more.


End file.
